'I failed Dame': Blazers GM says he couldn't find 'the right deals' to build around Lillard
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Damian Lillard will likely be traded before the 2023-24 season starts. However, when that trade will take place still remains to be seen.
Portland Trail Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin spoke to the media for the first time since Lillard's trade request on July 1, expressing his disappointment in not being able to convince the Blazers superstar to want to stay in Portland.
"I don't feel that I did everything I could because I didn't get done what I needed to get done. In that sense, I do feel like I failed Dame. Our goal was to win now as quickly as possible. If he didn't feel that way, it was a failure on my end," he said. "Building around Dame has always been the goal, even through the draft. The difficulty we ran into was finding the right deals. We kept scouring the market looking for more win-now players, and those players just weren't available."
Cronin said that he wasn't necessarily surprised when Lillard asked out, but that doesn't mean it didn't affect him.
"Any time a player that you care about that much brings that news to you, it does jolt you," said Cronin.
Although Lillard and Cronin haven't spoken since July 1, the Blazers GM said he respects Lillard's decision to request a trade.
"I can see why Dame would look at it and see why this isn't a win-now opportunity. From that standpoint, I understand it and respect it," he said. "In any deal, the goal is to come out with the best outcome. It could be more of a win-now player. It could be a young player and picks. It could be just picks. There's no set parameters."
Cronin also stated that if Lillard were to change his mind about the trade, that that would not be a problem.
"The goal is always to have Dame as a Trail Blazer. It always was and always will be. We wanted him to retire a Trail Blazer, so we’re very open minded to anytime Dame wants to be a part of us," said Cronin.
If Dame does remain firm in his stance for a trade though, Cronin said that the organization is going to be patient in finding the right deal for the Blazers guard and that Lillard's desire to only play for the Miami Heat has complicated the talks.
“We’re going to be patient. We’re going to do what's best for our team. We're going to see how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months," he said. "As a team, you always hope, you know, that you have more options … We have to do what is best for us."
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups also gave his take on the Lillard situation and complimented Cronin on his handling of the trade request.
"I have a very, very close relationship with Dame. He's in a spot right now where he has to make decisions for what's best for his career and his life. Those decisions aren't only about basketball," he said. "Joe's doing a really good job of handling the situation. That's just professional sports. As a coach, I'm going to do the same."
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Blazers could potentially receive "several" first-round picks by trading Lillard to the Heat, but there would likely need to be a third team involved.
"There is a framework with Miami where Portland could end up with three or four first-round draft picks. The question for Portland is that enough for Damian Lillard?" Charania said.